Can opener



Jan. 29, 1952 J. o. REINECKE 2,584,049

CAN OPENER Filed Jan. 25, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 NVENTOR.

8 v J 0 Re/Lhecke/ 2 Sl-IEETS-SHEET 2 R? an & N

o m o P 2 m m m w r 4 T a 0 Jan. 29, 1952 J. c. REINECKE CAN OPENER Filed Jan. 23, 1947 Patented Jan. 29, 1952 CAN OPENER Jean 0. Reinecke, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Application January 23, 1947, Serial No. 723,863

This invention is directed to can openers of the general type comprising a base plate, a rotatably mounted cutter, a feed wheel or driver for the can to be opened, means for shifting the position of the feed wheel to permit the can to be placed in operative position with respect to the rotatably mounted cutter and means for rotating the feed Wheel.

In can openers of this general type, it is customary to employ a yieldable pressure member disposed adjacent the feed wheel to press against the upper end of a can and force the latter into frictional engagement with the feed wheel. These pressure members, usually operated by means of a compression spring, have been rather complex in structure and their construction and installation constitute a comparatively large percentage of the cost of manufacture of the can opener as a whole. l

An object of the present invention is to greatly simplify the structure for causing the frictional contact between the feed wheel and cans, and yet maintain or improve the simplicity and reliability of operation of this part of the can opener.

A further object of the invention resides in the construction of a simplified pressure plate which may be readily installed with a minimum of operational steps and without the aid of expensive machinery.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a complete can opener embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the can opener with parts broken away;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the upper portion of the can opener;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the opener as shown in Figure 4, and

Figures 6 and 7 are elevational views of the arm employed for shifting the position of the feed wheel and the crank arm for rotating the feed wheel, respectively.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral I indicates an elongated base plate of channel formation adapted to be clamped to the edge of a table or the like. To this end a fixed clamping member 2 is mounted on the inside of the chan-- nel adjacent the lower end thereof, and a mov- 2 Claims. (01. 30-155) able clamping member 3 is threaded to a flanged bushin 4 fixed to the lower end of the base plate. A pivoted handle 5 is secured to the lower end. of the movable clamping "member 3 for operating the same from time to time as desired.

The rotatable cutter is indicated by "the numeral 6 and is mounted on a portion 1 ofthe base plate on the front face thereof as clearly indicated in Figures 2, 4, and 5. Immediately Icelow the cutter is a feed wheel 8 fixed to a rotatable shaft 9 which is eccentrically mounted in a cylindrical bushing or hub II] which is'osoillatable by a lever I I so as tolower the feed wheel when a can is being placed in the machine and for thereafter raising the feed wheel to properly clamp the can in position for the cutting operation. A crank arm I2 isfixed to the shaft for rotating the feed wheel 8 and thereby feed the upper end of the can against the cutter 5.

The foregoing features of the can opener and their arrangement are all well known in theart and therefore it is deemed unnecessary to describe them more specifically. But, as hereinbefore stated, this type of can opener necessitates the use of a pressure plate or foot for maintaining the can in proper feedings relationship to the feed wheel, and the pressure foot or plate of the present invention will now be described in detail.

The pressure plate is indicated by the numeral I3 and is provided with downward extensions havin offset portions intermediate their ends and terminating in horizontal portions forming pressure feet I 4 and I5 for engaging the upper edge of a can at opposite sides of the cutter 6. The body of the plate I3 is of substantially rectangular formation and is provided with a plu rality of protuberances I6 adapted to spacethe body of the pressure plate from the base plate and thereby reduce friction between the parts when the plate I3 is moved relative to the base plate.

Both the pressure plate 13 and the base plate I are provided with vertically extending rectangular openings I! which substantially register when the pressure plate is assembled with the base plate and the upper and lower edges of these openings are each provided with a stud I8. Disposed within the openings I1 is a compression sprin 19 having its lower end engaged over the studs on the lower edges of the openings I1 and its upper end engaged over the studs I8 on the upper edges of these openings; a washer 2ID being interposed between the upper end of the spring and the upper edges of the openings.

As will be noted from an inspection of Figures 1 and 4, the base plate is provided with a pair of rectangular openings 2| and the feet l4 and I5 of the pressure plate, as heretofore referred to, extend through those openings and are positioned at opposite sides of the cutter 6.

, In assembling this novel part of the can opener, it is only necessary to bring the plate I3 into position with the rounded protuberances [6 in engagement with the back of the base plate I and with the openings [7' in substantial registration as indicated. Thereafter, the washer 20 may be placed in position over the upper studs l8 and the spring l9 compressed and inserted in position over the respective pairs of studs I8. The device is now ready for operation.

From the foregoing description and the at tached drawings, it will be noted that I have devised a simplified pressure device for can openers which is free from lateral projections other than the pressure feet themselves, that it com- I prises only a plate, a spring and a washer, and

that these parts may be easily and quickly 7 mounted upon the main frame of the can opener without the use of bolts, screws, rivets, etc., and thus avoiding the time and labor involved in the use of such fastening means.

In accordance'with the patent statutes I have described what I now consider to be the preferred form of the invention but various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such details be included within the scope of the appended claims.

7 Iclaim:

1. A can opener including a base plate provided with a pair of spaced openings, a rotary cutter, a feed wheel shiftable with respect to the cutter, a pressure plate mounted for rectilinear sliding movement against one side of the base plate, said pressure plate provided with down ward'extensions having offset portions passing through said pair of openings in the base plate,

said extensions at their lower ends having horizontal portions forming pressure feet for engaging the can being opened, said base plate and pressure plate being provided with registering openings, studs on the upper and lower edges of the registering openings, and a coil spring mounted in the registering openings and engaged over the studs to force the pressure plate toward the feed wheel.

2. A can opener including a base plate proberances on the pressure plate for engagement. with the base plate, said base plate and pressure plate being provided with'registering openings, studs on the upper and lower edges of the registering openings, and a coil spring mounted in the registering openings and engaged over the studs to force the pressure plate toward the feed Wheel.

7 JEAN O. RE-INECKE.

REFERENCES orrED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,756,879 Rand et a1. Apr. 29, 1930 2,029,812 Dazey Feb. 4, 1936 2,070,261 Dazey Feb. 9, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 163,846 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1933 

